Vanessa Childs Rolls: Sydney’s original social spot

The Bourinot House on the harbour has a signature double balcony and dormers. Sydney Harbour, 77-1568-1702, ca 1855, Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.

In 1846, Lieutenant B.W.A. Sleigh of the 77th regiment was stationed in Sydney.

He described Sydney as: “two long straggling streets, with four minor intersecting ones, running up from the water. A few grocers’ stores, numerous small drinking shops, an odd cottage here and there, two stories high, the Church of England, Methodist and Catholic Chapel, all unpretending wooden edifices - and you have a full description of this rising spot. The grass grew luxuriantly in the streets, and the cattle were evidently divided in opinion, as to whether the town or country pastures were preferable.”

While he noted that there was little that he could recommend of Sydney, he noted that there were a few pleasant families that included Mayor Sutherland, Judge Dodd, and John Bourinot.

The Bourinot family was probably the most famous of these Sydney families.

John George Bourinot was born in Grouville on Channel Island of Jersey on March 15, 1814. His family were Huguenots who fled to the Channel Islands after the Edict of Nates in 1685.

In 1835 John George was first recorded as residing in at the time of his marriage in Arichat, where he established his place as a merchant.

John George moved to Sydney at some point in his career, most likely shortly after his marriage as most of his children were born in Sydney. He became a justice of the peace, the surveyor of shipping and the French vice consul.

French vessels frequently stopped in Sydney Harbour from St. Pierre to restock and to pick up the mail, which stopped in Sydney on its way to and from Europe. As vice consul, Bourinot hosted many French dignitaries, which made their home on the Esplanade the centre of Sydney’s social life.

Bourinot and his wife had 11 children, six sons and five daughters. With such a large family, he needed to have a large home. He purchased a large house on the waterfront next to where the Royal Cape Breton Yacht club would stand, from Phillip Ingouville.

The house was described as: “…a splendid two-storied house, sitting at the water’s edge, with a large private wharf, and was built somewhat in the southern plantation style.”

The Bourinot home hosted the sailing events that happened in the harbour. As the heart of these events people around Sydney began to refer to Bourinot as Commodore Bourinot, although there is no evidence he was ever officially given this title.

The house became so busy that Bourinot decided to build a large house away from the harbour. The replacement house still stands on the corner of the Esplanade and Nepean Street.

He moved the family to the new house, but left the old house for public use. The original house burned down in 1899 and the town decided to get together and build a separate building that would become the Royal Cape Breton Yacht Club.

Bourinot was elected as a Conservative to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1851-1867. During confederation talks, Bourinot was very vocal against confederation.

He pointed out that the position of Nova Scotia in confederation would be like that of Cape Breton since union with Nova Scotia in 1820, “no member for Cape Breton could for years raise his voice on behalf of that island without being met with sneers, if indeed he was heard at all.”

He changed his vote at the last minute, stating that Cape Breton would benefit from being included in confederation rather than excluded from it.

Bourinot spent his remaining years using the terms of Confederation to bring economic development to Cape Breton.

He was instrumental in the development of the steel plant and coal mines and developing the rail lines. He would be appointed to the Senate.

His son, Sir John George Bourinot, would follow in his footsteps and become the Canadian authority on Parliamentary procedure and practice.

Vanessa Childs Rolls is a local historian who lives in Sydney. Her column appears monthly in the Cape Breton Post. She can be contacted at Childsrolls@gmail.com